Steroids iodoaryl esters

Ingenious application of remote oxidation has opened the way to a novel and potentially useful degradation of 5a-cholestan-3a-ol to 3a-hydroxy-5a-androstan-17-one ( androsterone ). The radical relay process, whereby photolysis of an iodoaryl ester with iodobenzene dichloride introduces a chlorine atom or unsaturation into the steroid nucleus, has been adapted by use of the 3a-(4 -iodobiphenyl-3-carboxylate) (301). The size of this ester grouping allows the iodine atom to come... 

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